“If only I had gone to College”, “if only I had listened to my parents”, “if only I had taken that other job”, “if only I had married someone else”, etc.

Sometimes the blame is placed on other people rather than ourselves, but at the end of the day it is still up to us to find a solution to the problem.

Laying blame, making excuses or running away from the problem will not accomplish anything.  Even if we get advice from friends or family or seek professional counselling, we must still take the initiative to make the change, to actually do something about resolving the issue.

Being proactive makes you a better person.  It helps to build self confidence and self esteem, it even draws you closer to God.

When problems get out of hand, God is your final lifeline.  When you feel hopeless, when it seems as there is no solution whatsoever, God is there to help.  But you must call on Him.  You must take that stand and reach out to Him and everything will be alright in the end.

Always remember that, and problem solving, no matter how difficult the issue is, will become a breeze.

“Give all your worries and cares to God for He cares about what happens to you.”  I Peter 5:7

When negative things happen in our lives, some people say, “well, maybe it is God’s will that this happened.  But this is not true, God’s will for us is to be happy and healthy, nothing in the negative.

Suffering of any kind does not come from God.  It was never His Will that we suffer from anything.  There are however, some things we have no control over, things that are not directly our fault but when we suffer because of it or face any kind of negative, it just means there is a lesson to be learned from it, so we would not have to go through such an experience again.   Also, we can use the experience to minister to others who may be going through something similar.

Even for a spiritual person,  suffering happens to strengthen them. Remember Job how he suffered and lost members of his family, health and wealth?  But he never wavered and he remained faithful to God.  In return God returned him to his former self and he received even more wealth and beautiful children.

“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. ” James 1:2-4

Another important point to keep in mind is consulting with God through prayer about any important decision you have to make in your life.  This can be a new career path, a marriage decision, a  business deal, or anything major that will have a big impact on your future.  You need to know if your decision is part of God’s Will for you.  Once it is you will have great success.   However, if it is not, you may find yourself with major problems constantly and then you will realize that the decision was not the correct one.

Proverbs 15:22 states:

“Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many counselors bring success.”

Seeking the advice of friends and family, as well as other experts depending upon what your particular plans are, is also another way of knowing if you are taking the right course of action.  After praying, seek the counsel of others and this will help you to ensure that you are doing God’s Will, which will certainly not bring you any suffering whatsoever.